Chapter Summaries

After forcing Wu Kaijing to apologize, Meng Zhao told Han Pu he would not pursue Wu Kaijing personally but intended to use the Wu Family as prey. He left Han Pu to strengthen the Great Banner Gang and continued waiting for the Emperor Yu Battle Armor before risking a breakthrough.

• Meng Zhao pressured Wu Kaijing into lowering his stance and apologizing to Han Pu.
• Han Pu warned Meng Zhao that Wu Kaijing might retaliate and that pursuing the Wu Family could damage the Meng Family's reputation.
• Meng Zhao explained that he could target the Wu Family without breaking his promise to leave Wu Kaijing alone, and ordered Han Pu to focus on the Great Banner Gang.
• Han Pu promised to investigate spies, gather information, and train the gang in the Vermilion Bird Formation.
• Meng Zhao considered Han Pu's Star Body and his own Ziwei Star Lord potential, but resolved to suppress his cultivation until he obtained the Emperor Yu Battle Armor.

A hidden Young Master ordered his subordinate to poison Meng Zhao and dismantle the Meng Family’s hold over Lingwu City. The subordinate accepted the assignment and promised to report success within three days.

• The Young Master told the middle-aged man that the Great Banner Gang’s rise had cost him control of part of the western district and demanded that he restore it within three days.
• The middle-aged man explained that the Meng Family had seized the district by destroying seven gangs and supporting the Great Banner Gang with wealth and Connate experts.
• The Young Master gave the middle-aged man a poison and said Meng Zhao’s death would leave the Lingwu Meng Family vulnerable to its enemies.
• The middle-aged man raised concerns about the Imperial Court and Beitang He, but the Young Master said he had connections to Beitang Ang and Beitang Shu to contain the fallout.
• The middle-aged man agreed to poison Meng Zhao and promised the Young Master news of victory within three days.

A kitchen woman agreed to put a concealed, drowsiness-inducing medicine in Meng Zhao’s food after a middle-aged man threatened and bribed her, while a guard was ordered to kill her afterward. At breakfast, Little Nine repeatedly stopped Meng Zhao from eating the Three-Vegetable Cake, and Meng Zhao began testing the food.

• The middle-aged man gave the kitchen woman a bottle of medicine and persuaded her to put it in Meng Zhao’s food by promising silver and threatening her.
• After the woman left, the middle-aged man ordered a saber-wielding guard to kill her once the task was done and explained that the medicine would evade a Silver Needle Poison Test.
• Meng Zhao began breakfast while Lü Yue reported on the manor and its businesses.
• Little Nine swallowed the Three-Vegetable Cake whenever Meng Zhao tried to eat it, but ignored the other food.
• Meng Zhao realized something was wrong and began testing the breakfast items as Lü Yue asked what was happening.

Meng Zhao discovered that someone had tried to poison him with a lethal toxin hidden in a Three-Vegetable Cake and ordered Lü Yue to investigate the estate. After Doctor Yang identified the poison as rare Crimson Scorpion Powder, Meng Zhao vowed to kill whoever had targeted him.

• Little Nine detected poison in the Three-Vegetable Cake, leading Meng Zhao to suspect someone had tried to kill him.
• Meng Zhao ordered Lü Yue to lock down the estate, investigate the kitchen staff, and detain the original guards.
• Meng Zhao considered possible culprits, including the backers of the gangs he had eliminated and local powers in Lingwu City.
• Doctor Yang identified the poison as Crimson Scorpion Powder, a rare and fast-acting toxin made from nine deadly substances.
• Meng Zhao kept the poisoning secret and filled the room with killing intent as he vowed to take the culprit's life.

Meng Zhao learned that Qi Wangshi had poisoned him under pressure from an Iron Hand Society figure and suspected more traitors inside the estate. He exposed and captured one of four suspected estate warriors, then began questioning him about how to survive.

• Lü Yue reported that Qi Wangshi had drugged Meng Zhao with a sleep-inducing poison after being coerced and bribed by a mysterious person linked to the Iron Hand Society.
• Meng Zhao learned that Qi Wangshi suspected other estate insiders were passing information and ordered Lü Yue to bring in her four named suspects.
• Meng Zhao offered the four warriors Three-Vegetable Cake and silver, using their reactions to identify one who became visibly alarmed.
• Lü Yue knocked away the guilty warrior's concealed dagger, sealed his acupoints, dislocated his arms, and captured him.
• Meng Zhao dismissed the other three suspects and asked the captured warrior what he would do to preserve his life.

Meng Zhao exposed a servant’s role in the attempt to poison him and forced him to reveal the Iron Hand Society’s involvement. The servant named Tie Xiongfei and four other infiltrators, while Meng Zhao suspected a powerful figure was directing the Society from behind the scenes.

• Meng Zhao confronted the man with the poisoning evidence and threatened his elderly mother, forcing him to cooperate.
• The man admitted that Tie Xiongfei had recruited him and identified Zhou the Lame, Miss Zheng, and two tenant farmers as other people bought off by the Iron Hand Society.
• The man revealed that Tie Xiongfei had ordered him to kill Qi Wangshi after she poisoned Meng Zhao, then escape Lingwu City by boat.
• Meng Zhao ordered Lü Yue to record the names of the infiltrators and deal with them alongside Qi Wangshi.
• Meng Zhao considered the Iron Hand Society’s rapid rise and concluded that Tie Xiongfei might be an executor for a hidden power rather than the mastermind.

After uncovering that Tie Xiongfei had obtained poison from a powerful sponsor, Meng Zhao spared the betrayer but crippled his cultivation and summoned his followers. He resolved to use the poisoning attempt as justification to destroy the Iron Hand Society, leaving his allies to prepare for a campaign backed by letters to influential city powers.

• The captured man told Meng Zhao that Tie Xiongfei's poison came from someone above him, likely a young master from a great family, and answered Meng Zhao's questions about the Iron Hand Society.
• Meng Zhao spared the traitor's life but ordered his cultivation crippled and assigned him farmland, prompting Lü Yue to warn that the lenient punishment might encourage further betrayal.
• Meng Zhao summoned his faction's leaders to the main hall and ordered the manor sealed while Lü Yue recounted the poisoning attempt.
• The assembled followers reacted with anger, and Meng Zhao announced that he would use the attack as a pretext to destroy the Iron Hand Society and expand the Meng Family's territory.
• Meng Zhao proposed sending letters to the City Lord's Mansion, Qianhuan Temple, Xuanxin Temple, Tianhuo Martial Hall, Xindeng Martial Hall, and the Ding Family to seek their support or keep the Iron Hand Society's allies occupied.

Meng Zhao organized a plan to use evidence of the Iron Hand Society’s poisoning plot to rally Lingwu City’s powers against it, then publicized his poisoning to draw out allies and enemies. As the city reacted, Tie Xiongfei grew uneasy after his superior told him only to wait and watch.

• Meng Zhao persuaded his allies to support a campaign against the Iron Hand Society, keeping the surviving traitor and Qi Wangshi alive as witnesses.
• Meng Zhao assigned tasks and arranged for news of his poisoning to spread through Lingwu City.
• Master Pukong sent Qianhuan Temple’s Calamity Breaking Elixir to help Meng Zhao, while other friendly forces offered medicine or doctors.
• Wu Kaijing celebrated Meng Zhao’s apparent misfortune, but Wu Zunyuan withheld judgment.
• Tie Xiongfei contacted his superior about the failed assassination, but the young master ordered him to wait and watch.

After poisoning Meng Zhao, the Meng Family turned Lingwu City against Tie Xiongfei and Iron Hand Society through letters and rumors, isolating the society and stirring unrest within its ranks. The chapter ended with Lü Yue leading a thousand Meng Mansion warriors in a vow to destroy Iron Hand Society and avenge Meng Zhao.

• Lü Yue sent letters accusing Tie Xiongfei of poisoning Meng Zhao and warning that Earl of Nan'an might come to Lingwu City if the Meng Family's revenge was delayed.
• Most leaders who received the letters stayed silent, tacitly accepting the Meng Family's campaign, while some promised to send experts to help.
• Meng Zhao's planned rumors accused Iron Hand Society of planting agents and assassinating rivals, worsening suspicion of the society across Lingwu City.
• Iron Hand Society faced mounting outside pressure and internal grievances as its members began to distrust Tie Xiongfei.
• At dawn, Lü Yue read a proclamation before a thousand armed Meng Mansion warriors and sacrificed an ox, sheep, and pig.
• Lü Yue declared that the warriors would break Iron Hand Society and behead Tie Xiongfei, and the thousand men roared their agreement.

Meng Zhao prepared a thousand warriors to attack the Iron Hand Society, intending to train and consolidate his force while seizing the society’s territory and assets without destroying its underlying strength. As the attack began, Han Pu’s force paused on the way to Taigu Warehouse Dock to await a formidable surprise unit of fifty armored cavalrymen.

• Meng Zhao explained to Zhu'er and Han Lu that his thousand warriors would tie down the Iron Hand Society’s members while his Innate Masters handled the decisive fights.
• Meng Zhao said he planned to use the campaign to strengthen his command, take over the Iron Hand Society’s holdings, and preserve its basic strength for his own purposes.
• Meng Zhao’s forces set out in separate groups, and Han Pu, Cao Zhan, Xue Huaiyong, and Jia Qiang led three hundred warriors toward Taigu Warehouse Dock, where deputy leader Lou Guanlan was stationed.
• Han Pu ordered his force to rest midway, explaining to Xue Huaiyong and Jia Qiang that he was waiting for a surprise force sent by Meng Zhao.
• Fifty iron-armored riders arrived on powerful Black Scale Horses, carrying spears, crossbows, and shields, and their presence unnerved Xue Huaiyong and Jia Qiang.

Han Pu led Meng Zhao’s three hundred warriors and fifty elite armored cavalry toward Taigu Warehouse Dock, where the cavalry’s arrival strengthened the group’s loyalty to the Meng Family. At the dock, Lou Guanlan confronted his old friend Chi Nianwen, who warned that Tie Xiongfei and the Iron Hand Society faced ruin.

• Meng Zhao’s fifty elite armored cavalry arrived, impressing Jia Qiang, Xue Huaiyong, and the warriors with their equipment and strength.
• Han Pu observed the group’s growing loyalty to Meng Zhao and led them toward Taigu Warehouse Dock after they rested.
• At the dock, Lou Guanlan questioned Chi Nianwen about whether he had come to urge him to betray the Iron Hand Society and join the Zhuo Family.
• Chi Nianwen denied wanting Lou Guanlan to join the Zhuo Family and warned that Tie Xiongfei would either die in Lingwu City or flee into hiding.

Chi Nianwen warned Lou Guanlan that the Iron Hand Society’s rapid rise depended on hidden support that might abandon it after the poisoning of Meng Zhao. He left Lou facing the likelihood that the Meng Family’s retaliation would bring down the Iron Hand Society and Tie Xiongfei.

• Lou Guanlan dismissed the rumors about Tie Xiongfei poisoning Meng Zhao as a minor problem the Iron Hand Society could resolve.
• Chi Nianwen argued that Tie Xiongfei was likely involved and asked Lou about the Iron Hand Society’s sudden rise to power.
• Lou explained that the Iron Hand Society had struggled for eight years before flourishing under Tie Xiongfei’s leadership over the past five.
• Chi Nianwen suggested that a hidden power had backed the Iron Hand Society and used Tie Xiongfei as its figurehead.
• Chi Nianwen warned that the hidden patron might abandon the Iron Hand Society to avoid involvement in the Meng Family’s retaliation.
• Lou asked whether Lingwu City’s powerful figures would let the Meng Family act unchecked, and Chi Nianwen explained that Meng Zhao’s survival had rallied support for the Meng Family.

Lou Guanlan learned that the Meng Family’s campaign against the Iron Hand Society was likely part of a much larger alliance, but he refused to abandon the Society without a fight. After the Meng Family gathered outside Taigu Warehouse Dock, he led a group of loyal martial artists there to face them.

• Chi Nianwen warned Lou Guanlan that Meng Zhao might be using the poisoning as a pretext to seize the Iron Hand Society, and urged him to leave before he was caught in the conflict.
• Iron Hand Society members reported that a force believed to be from the Meng Family had gathered outside Taigu Warehouse Dock.
• Lou Guanlan ordered the Society’s members to gather, arm themselves, and avoid striking first, then refused Chi Nianwen’s plea to stay behind.
• Lou Guanlan sounded the war drum and invited the martial artists at the training ground to join him; none fled, and they prepared to go with him.
• Lou Guanlan gave Steward Zhuangzi a few instructions and hurried toward the dock with the martial artists under his command.

Han Pu confronted Lou Guanlan and explained why the Meng Family intended to act against the Iron Hand Society over Tie Xiongfei’s poisoning plot. Lou Guanlan, seeking to protect the Society and its members, asked whether they could resolve the conflict through compensation instead of bloodshed.

• Han Pu held his disciplined forces back from attacking the Iron Hand Society, hoping to preserve its members and achieve a favorable result for the Meng Family.
• Lou Guanlan arrived and calmed the Society’s thousand members, strengthening their resolve and order.
• Han Pu introduced himself and accused Tie Xiongfei and the Iron Hand Society of plotting to poison Meng Zhao.
• Lou Guanlan questioned whether the evidence could have been fabricated, but Han Pu said witnesses and physical evidence confirmed Tie Xiongfei’s guilt.
• Lou Guanlan argued that the Meng Family should target Tie Xiongfei alone, and Han Pu insisted the Society was inseparable from its leader.
• Lou Guanlan asked Han Pu whether the conflict could be settled through compensation rather than bloodshed.

Han Pu offered Lou Guanlan a chance to spare the Iron Hand Society by joining the Meng Family or settling the conflict through martial arts contests. Lou Guanlan accepted the contest proposal in principle, and Han Pu set out terms that gave Lou two consecutive matches against the Meng Family’s experts.

• Han Pu refused Lou Guanlan’s plea, declaring the Meng Family intended to kill Tie Xiongfei and destroy the Iron Hand Society, but offered to spare Lou and his subordinates if they joined the Meng Family.
• Lou Guanlan realized the Meng Family’s attack was likely an excuse for Meng Zhao to absorb the Iron Hand Society, while deciding not to risk exposing Chi Nianwen by asking for his help.
• Han Pu proposed a three-match contest, with the winner’s terms deciding the conflict, and promised the Meng Family would withdraw temporarily if it lost.
• Lou Guanlan pointed out that the Meng Family had three Innate Martial Dao experts while the Iron Hand Society had only him, and Han Pu allowed one match between Houtian Realm fighters and Lou to fight in the other two consecutively.

The Meng Family and the Iron Hand Society agreed to settle their conflict through three martial bouts, beginning with a Houtian Realm contest between Cao Zhan and Zhao Daizong. The first bout was about to begin as both sides gathered to watch.

• Han Pu proposed deciding the conflict through three friendly martial bouts, and Lou Guanlan accepted.
• Han Pu chose Cao Zhan for the first bout and praised his cultivation and martial skill.
• Lou Guanlan selected Zhao Daizong, intending to use his nimble techniques to wear Cao Zhan down.
• Cao Zhan and Zhao Daizong entered the open space as both sides cheered them on.
• Jia Qiang asked whether Cao Zhan could handle the fight, and Xue Huaiyong expressed confidence in him and said Han Pu likely planned to fight Lou Guanlan himself.

Cao Zhan fought Zhao Daizong, whose nimble footwork let him evade the stronger fighter’s attacks while probing his defenses. As the chase continued, Xue Huaiyong realized Cao Zhan was learning Zhao Daizong’s movements and gradually trapping him.

• Cao Zhan opened with a powerful grab, but Zhao Daizong evaded and struck his elbow with Green Pine Needle qi, which failed to penetrate Cao Zhan’s hardened defense.
• Cao Zhan attacked with the Through-the-Back Fist while Zhao Daizong used his movement techniques to keep out of reach and search for an opening.
• The fighters circled the field as onlookers from both sides traded insults, while Han Pu, Lou Guanlan, and the others watched in silence.
• Jia Qiang worried that Zhao Daizong’s endurance and agility could wear Cao Zhan down, but Xue Huaiyong pointed out that Cao Zhan was shrinking the space in which Zhao Daizong could flee.

Zhao Daizong abandoned his retreat and unleashed the Tortoise-Snake Palm Technique, whose divine essence stunned the crowd and forced Cao Zhan back. Cao Zhan charged again with overwhelming force, and after their decisive clash, Zhao Daizong was revealed to have lost.

• Zhao Daizong realized Cao Zhan was predicting his footwork and closing off his escape routes, so he decided to end the fight quickly.
• Zhao Daizong rooted himself in place and used the Tortoise-Snake Palm Technique, harmonizing opposing forces and displaying martial arts that had entered their divine essence.
• Zhao Daizong's palm force met Cao Zhan's Through-the-Back Fist and shook Cao Zhan back one step, drawing praise from the crowd.
• Cao Zhan roared and charged again, unleashing two blazing punches against Zhao Daizong's tortoise-snake force.
• After the smoke cleared, Zhao Daizong had lost, while Lou Guanlan calmly took in the result.

Cao Zhan defeated Zhao Daizong, leaving Taikoo Warehouse’s fate to the coming matches between Lou Guanlan and Meng Zhao’s fighters. Xue Huaiyong stepped forward to face Lou Guanlan, while Han Pu warned him about Lou’s sharp sword qi and promised to bear responsibility for the outcome.

• Cao Zhan defeated Zhao Daizong, who accepted his loss and considered that joining the Meng Family might not be so bad.
• Cao Zhan returned to Han Pu, and Han Pu praised his victory before asking Xue Huaiyong and Jia Qiang who would fight next.
• Xue Huaiyong and Jia Qiang agreed that Xue would face Lou Guanlan first and test his abilities.
• Han Pu warned Xue Huaiyong about Lou Guanlan’s sharp sword qi and promised to take responsibility for the outcome.
• Xue Huaiyong stepped forward to fight Lou Guanlan, who recognized him as the next opponent.

Lou Guanlan fought Xue Huaiyong after Zhao Daizong’s defeat, and their clash revealed the power of Xue’s Doluoye Lotus Finger. Xue nearly subdued Lou with its spiritual influence, but Lou’s sword-tempered mind broke free as the phantom finger descended.

• Lou Guanlan stepped forward to face Xue Huaiyong, hoping to fight well despite the Iron Hand Society’s disadvantage.
• Lou Guanlan gained a slight edge in their opening exchange, but Xue Huaiyong responded with a storm of Doluoye Lotus Finger strikes.
• Lou Guanlan countered the Finger Force with a net of azure sword qi, and the two attacks appeared evenly matched.
• Xue Huaiyong walked through the air on white lotuses and unleashed a giant phantom finger that compressed the space around Lou Guanlan.
• The finger’s spiritual intent made Lou Guanlan close his eyes and abandon resistance, but his sword-like consciousness cut through the lotus and freed him.